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Mom and Dad, You’re Too Drunk To Drive!

When someone is arrested for DUI, it is generally presumed that they have endangered their own life and the lives of others on the road; after all, isn’t that why it is illegal

If there are passengers in the car with an intoxicated driver, their lives are also at risk. Most adults would not choose to get into the car with a drunk driver, however, children of drunk drivers are not given a choice. When mom or dad says get in the car, the kids jump in, many too young to be aware of the danger of riding with their parents.

DUI Mom from Washington

In Vancouver, Washington, when Paulette Lynn Spears had been drinking and then was driving with her 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter in the car with her, her son was old enough to know that his mom was putting them all in danger by driving drunk. The boy took Spears’ cell phone and dialed 911 to report that his mom was driving around and seemed to be out of it.

The little boy tried to tell the 911 operator where they were by using landmark descriptions, but Spears kept poking him and trying to disconnect the call. She successfully disconnected the 911 call, but her persistent son called back. Spears then reportedly bit her son on the hand to try to make him let go of the telephone.

When the call was disconnected, 911 operators called back. Spears answered the phone and told the operator not to worry about it and hung up.

Spears then pulled into a fire station and told people there that she had a medical condition. Using GPS technology and the landmarks the little boy had described to officers, police arrived at the fire station within a minute.

Spears was arrested for DUI and also charged with two counts of reckless endangerment and assault of a child.

DUI For Both Mom and Dad

In Michigan, two kids witnessed both their mom and dad get arrested for DUI within hours of each other.

First police pulled over the dad for running a red light. He had his 12-year-old son in the car with him, and unfortunately failed a preliminary breath test. The police told the boy to call his mother to pick him up, since his dad was being arrested for DUI.

Enter the mom, and second drunk driver. A short while later, the boy’s mother arrived with his 9-year-old sister in the car with her. The police also gave the woman a breath test, and she failed. She was the arrested to DUI as well.

The children were placed with a relative until the parents sobered up and bailed out of jail.

Mom Puts a New Twist on DUI

An Indiana mom wanted to avoid a second DUI arrest because she knew that she was intoxicated from taking painkillers and sleeping pills. Since she did not have a licensed driver to operate her car, she took a novel approach to the situation and had her 5-year-old son drive her and her 3-year-old son around town.

When neighbors discovered that the 5-year-old had been driving the car they called police and took the keys. The mother did manage to avoid a DUI arrest, but was arrested for two counts of felony neglect and public intoxication instead.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five Kids in The Car!

A Pennsylvania man didn’t just endanger one or two kids in his care by driving drunk, he had five kids in the car with him when he was arrested for DUI.

Michael Bish, 29, was seen driving his SUV in and out of ditches. He was pulled over and police discovered that he was intoxicated. He had five children passengers aged 2 to 8 in the car with him.

According to the police reports, after Bish was stopped by the police he hit the 8-year-old child in the stomach. Police allege that Bish also threatened a witness and ordered two children who had not been in the vehicle and who he was not acquainted with, to get in.

After being confronted by the cops, Bish reportedly rammed his head into the K-9 police cruiser and kicked a door panel and window on another police car.

Bish, of course, was arrested and charged with two counts of DUI, five counts of child endangerment, three counts of harassment, two counts of criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

So what kind of example is this to set for kids? By not only drinking and driving, but drinking and driving with children in the vehicles and being arrested in front of the kids these people have taken a bad situation and made it much worse. They all also were charged with very serious charges as a result of endangering the children.